December 29, 2015

I don't know what you call this thing, but my husband posted this picture to my FB page yesterday and told me to "make some of these".

You know, because he's an engineer and not a knitter, it didn't occur to him to share a picture with a link to the pattern. (I don't know who you are, but thanks for modeling!) When I went on Ravelry, I couldn't find either that picture or a pattern to match. So I wrote one with a wider rib and knit up the darned thing this morning.

It didn't take but a minute. And because there are others of you who also probably have husbands who will want you to knit one of these ear warmer thingys instead of just wearing a cap that covers their ears because that would make far too much sense, here's the pattern: Baseball Cap Ear Warmer Thingy. Feel free to make as many of these dumb things as you can stand (just don't copy my pattern and sell it as your own work of art because that would be both rude and illegal).

December 22, 2015

It's 3 days until Christmas--well, more like 2 and a handful of hours--and some pretty unpleasant gifts have been delivered by probably the Grinch. For me personally, there is the gift of this crazy, awful, haven't-been-this-sick-in-years flu/head cold from Hell virus that at least waited until all the work was done on the barn on Saturday to start killing me slowly and painfully. Three days in and each day has been a new set of miserable symptoms that trump those of the day before. It's safe to say that this, in combination with the fact that the 2 skeins of yarn that I needed from Knit Picks to finish what was set up to be the most amazing Penguins hockey cap ever in the history of hockey took 7 days to arrive (while the yarn I didn't need right now that was ordered later took 2 days) means the end of any expectations that I had of a Christmas FO. I finally had to just throw in the towel and order a ball cap. I'm not very merry about it, but I am too sick to kick it into high gear and the husband is going to be home through the holidays so I'd have to knit in the closet and that's not weird or suspicious at all.

The other unwanted gift is this mid-summer weather that we are about to be hit with in late December. We couldn't beg, borrow, or steal rain over the summer but now that we have half of the walls up and half of them on the ground to be put up for the main floor of the barn, we will be getting 10 days of insanely heavy rain with temps in the upper 70s (because what we all secretly want Santa to bring is hot, humid, gloomy, sticky weather for Christmas, right?)

That's not the best part. There's a threat of TORNADOS tomorrow with rain upwards of 2 inches. If there's one thing that can be counted on around here, rain or shine, it's high winds. We might as well live on the windward side of the Alps. High winds and flood water are the enemies of barn builders and Christmas revelers. It's going to be a tense next 3 days around here.

The last unwanted gift of the season, which is directly connected to the fact that Mother Nature has lost her friggin' mind, is the onslaught of summer insects. We are being overrun with, first, lady bugs and now stink bugs and house flies. What season is it again?

At least everything, and I mean everything on my list (save that one pesky hat)--I do all the shopping, sometimes even for myself, at Christmas--except for one measly gift card, has been bought, knit, hidden away, or wrapped and shipped. I've even gotten the groceries, which was no small feat of magic with one foot in the grave and a Walmart full of crazed holiday shoppers. I'm down to the wrapping of the last few packages and the praying that the most wanted gift on my husband's list actually shows up by the 24th like it's supposed to. I'm relying on the U.S. Postal Service, so chances are ... we'll get it on the 26th.

This is not to say that we haven't had our share of blessings this year. We have had more than our fair share and we are grateful. Despite every only-in-the-movies kind of craziness that has been thrown our way, we have come out of it with more lemonade than lemons. It's been a rough year, and I, for one, am thankful to be looking at the end of it with the people who have my back and love me unconditionally to share it with. (Well, there are probably conditions like "I'll love you forever if you take me to practice, mom!"--I have teenagers.)

So tonight, I'm just going to slurp my chicken noodle soup loudly because no one is home to hear it, maybe knit something, wrap a couple things, and fall asleep watching whatever old movie I can find on the TV with my fingers crossed that Wednesday will be quiet and uneventful.

December 14, 2015

There are 12 measly little days left until Christmas. For the first time EVER, I will be finished with all Christmas knitting, not only before Christmas Eve, but a full WEEK BEFORE Christmas Eve. I feel like there is something so very off about that statement. I feel like I am missing something, though I have checked and re-checked and even added to the list over the last few weeks.

I have a few ends to weave in and some blocking ...

How does one block and dry a 15-foot wool scarf? I think I'm going to lay it out in the green house. No one goes in there besides me so it's probably a pretty safe place to stash a scarf of this magnitude.

And a thumb ...

There's a gansey hat that will take about a day to finish up--just needs a crown. I designed this pattern, but think I may make a change or two before I publish it.

And there's a color work hat that I expect will be quite glorious when it's finished--two days tops.

And then that's it. Gloves for my mother-in-law went to her for her birthday. I've made scarves for Rocket and Scout #1's girlfriend. This is the girlfriend's scarf.

Self-striping socks in size GARGANTUAN for Scout #2 are boxed and under the tree. And, well, that's it. The list was pretty small, but still and all, it's on the short track to being finished. I even had time to whip up a new cowl in Rocket's basketball team colors for myself.

The really crazy thing about this is ... my mind is spinning with what is going to be an unprecedented pre-Christmas cast on for myself. Or, I could just reign in my cast-on-itis and finish the second Snawpaws mitten of this pair (done with our luminescent Moss and NaturalSingle Sheep).

Best of luck to you as you wrap up your holiday gift list! I'm off to finish up.